It has historically been common that absorbent articles, in general including diapers, adult incontinence products, underarm sweat products, collar inserts, sanitary napkins and pantiliners are provided in a color communicating a hygienic condition. This conventionally resulted in white or predominantly white articles. This did fit well with the historically predominant undergarment color in which these articles are worn, namely white undergarments. As a result white pantiliners or white sanitary napkins are not easily recognizable when used in such white undergarments.
Very recently fashion has led women more frequently to use other colors than white undergarments. This has been dictated not only by fashion itself but also as a result of the development of clothing which has a certain translucency and allows the color of the undergarment to be recognized. Furthermore very recently so-called G-String undergarments or “Tanga-Slips” have become widely used in particular by a younger generation women. These so-called string tangas are particularly used to prevent easy recognition of the contour of the undergarment through tight fitting clothes.
It has thus become a need to have sanitary napkins or pantiliners available which match the color of the undergarments (and typically the garments) in order to prevent a color-based recognition of the presence of such articles (under the assumption that modern clothing can be translucent).
For sanitary napkins or pantiliners having so-called wings which are folded around the outside of the undergarment this is even more important since the wing part of the sanitary napkin or pantiliner is on purpose folded onto the outside of the undergarment and therefore easily visible, depending on the clothing worn over the undergarment.
Sanitary towels comprising an absorbent material and a backsheet (side directed towards the garment), which is skin tone coloured are disclosed in Fl 9602361 to Anja Levoranta. The coloring can simulate the real skin colour. DE 19821821 to Buetow Geb Wantulla, discloses pantiliners that can be separated in two tanga pantiliners along their diagonal line. They are preferably produced in a variety of different colors. Indeed, the topsheet and the backsheet of these pantiliners might be colored.
Traditionally the absorbent cores used in absorbent articles, like pantiliners and/or sanitary napkins, are available in white color to communicate a hygienic condition. However, it has now been observed that the use of such white absorbent cores in dark colored absorbent articles provided with dark colored so called “apertured topsheet” conflicts with the need of discretion in use of such articles, as the white color would be visible through the apertures of the dark colored topsheet.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide absorbent articles, like pantiliners and/or sanitary napkins, being discreet in use when worn with a dark colored undergarment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide absorbent articles, particularly sanitary napkins or pantiliners, which are made such that when worn they are not easily recognizable on dark colored undergarments or more generally under translucent garments in which they are worn, which are simple and cheap to mass manufacture.
This has now been achieved by providing an absorbent article having an apertured topsheet, an underlying layer visible through the apertures of the topsheet and a backsheet, wherein both the topsheet and underlying layer have a color L Hunter value of less than 60. Preferably the difference in L Hunter value ΔL between the underlying layer (e.g., secondary topsheet and/or absorbent core) and the topsheet is less than 20.
Advantageously a masking effect of the absorbent core typically of light color (white color) is provided, which is hence not recognizable through the apertures of the topsheet, thereby providing discretion in use of the entire absorbent article of the present invention. Masking the absorbent core in dark colored absorbent articles provides enhanced discretion in use, especially in more intimate moment of woman life, where the woman may have to remove her undergarment.
Another benefit associated to the dark colored absorbent articles according to the present invention in use is the masking effect of the bodily discharge absorbed and retained in the absorbent articles. Bodily fluids like vaginal secretions, urine lost and/or menstruation will be masked by the presence of an underlying layer (e.g., secondary topsheet and/or absorbent core) having a L Hunter value of less than 60, preferably matching the color of the topsheet of the absorbent articles of the present invention. This contributes to overall comfort and discretion. Indeed optimum masking of any bodily fluid discharge especially menstrual blood discharge, into the absorbent article, is achieved when both the topsheet and the underlying layer have a L hunter value of less than 30 and are preferably of black color.
In one embodiment herein the absorbent articles of the present invention might comprise in their absorbent core odor control materials like for instance active carbon, which is from far one of the most active and cost effective odor control material. This odor control material was traditionally not desired in conventional hygienic white absorbent articles due to its inherent black color. Active carbon (also called charcoal) might advantageously be used in the dark colored absorbent articles of the present invention especially the black ones, without impairing on the comfort and discretion of the article.